License-indicator



JOHN M. MCCARTHY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LCEN SE1-INDICATOR.

Application led August 26, 1918.

To nl? Hiom t may concern:

Be it known that l, JoHNKM. MCCanTHY, a citizen or" the United StatesLresiding at `Chicago, in the county ot Cook and State of' lllinois, have invented certain new vand useful Improvements in License-Indicators, of which the follmving is a specification.

This invention relates to license indicators for motor cars and like vehicles'7 and its object is to provide an indicator which renders the license number clearly legible at a considerable distance'by night or by day. 4

A\nother object -of the invention is to render the indicator readily applicable and adjustable to license plates of' varying lengths, so as to continue in use as nevv numbers are obtained from year to year.

il still further Objectis to embody in the indicator a tail-lightelement as a substitute for the usual tail lamp. v

With the above objects in view, the invention consists in a novel combination and arrangement of parts to be described and claimed hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of the indicator, as viewed from the rear of' the vehicle;

Figs. 2 and 3 are, respectively, sectional views taken on the lines 2-2 and 3-3 of Fig. 1 and ig. 4 is an elevation of' the indicator, as adjusted for a small license number.

Referring' specifically to the drawing, the

` indicator is in the form of an elongated casf ing and made of two telescopically slidable sections 5 and 5a. These are of heavy sheet metal and have, respectively, top Walls G and G, bottoms 7 and 7 a, and end Walls S and 8. The front of the casing is open, except for inturned flanges 9 bent from the top walls 6 and 621 and the bottoms 7 and 7% While at one end of the flanges 9 the end Wall 8a extends to meet the latter, and form a closure for the casing, the'end )vali 8 terminates short of theopposite end of said flanges, so as 'to permit tWo plates 10 and 11 to be insert-ed along the inner surface of the flanges.

The plate 10 is positioned next within the flanges 9, and is of black painted metal, stenciled with the license number at 12 and with the state 'and year to which the license relates at 13.. The plate 11 is positioned immediately behind the plate 10, nd is of heavy opal glass. The end walls 8 and 8 of the casing have vertical inner flanges 1l Specification of Letters Patent. A

` tures 19 in the i by thc provision Serial No. 251,435.

positioned immediately behind the plate 11, these serving to preserve the position of the plates l() and 11, and toprevent the latter from backing into the casing.

The plates 10 and l1 are moved into the position described by being slid from that end of the casing corresponding to the Wall 8. The latter carries a spring clip 15, pivoted at 16, which may be swung to abut the exposed ends of the plates 10 and 11, after the latter have been slid into place, to prevent the plates from sliding out of place. The plates by manually drawing the clip 15 out of the Way.

Patented Apr. l13, 1920.

may, however, be' easily removed in the form of an electric lamp 17, Whose socket 18 extends through registering aperthe casing, and takes a nut 20 for the purpose of securing the sections-of the casing at the bottom. The top walls 6 and 6a are similarly apertured to receive a bolt 21 and nut 22, so that a fastening may also be providedthereat.

With the indicator in operation during the day, the White numbers of 'opal glass Will be easily legible at a considerable distance as against the black stencil plate 10; and at night, the translucent the opal glass, with the aid of the electric lamp 17 within the casing, will render the numbers distinct and sufficiently bright to be read from afar.

The glass plate 11 is made with a portion-integral or separatetinted red, said portion being located behind the state and year indicia 13. This feature will render the. corresponding red at night, and ot' the usual tail lamp, dispensing With the latter.

As license lengths, in license num er, it will beA apparent 'that the telescopic construction of the casing Will adapt the latter to such plates without alteration. Thus, in F ig. 4 is shown an indicator contracted in proportion to a three-figure license number. The adjustment of the electric .lamp 17 is adapted to that of the casing ot' a series of apertures 23 of the casing section 5 plates are made of various in the bottom 7 similar to the aperture 19. 223 aro normally closed by partly perforated property of` portion of the indicator will perform the function )roportion to the length of the The apertures bottom sections 7 and 7a ofv disks 2li, any of which may be easily removed to permit the lamp tobeadjusted in the resulting aperture, when the casing is contracted. The disks 24 may be removably secured and adapted for replacement in any suitable manner. VThe top Wall 6 of the casing section is also provided with a. series of ,closed apertures (not shown) for the adjust nient of the holt 2l in manner similar'to that of the lamp, as described.

-ln oii'dei that the sections 5 and 5a or the casing may have sutlicient rigidity atlanyv position ad]usted to withstand-shocks and vibratioii the vtop Walls 6 and Gigas Well as the bottoms 7 and 7, are pressed With a series olf coiicavo-convex indentations- 2f', which are designed to inteilit snugly, and to hold the siiperposed sheets firmly together.'

heeej/oe I olaimz-- y v Y l. A license indicator comprising a sheet material casing formed of telescopioally slidable sections, one side of the casing be inv open to receive a license plate and having inturned llanges to ietain the latter, and interiitting` iiidentations made in. the superposed Walls of the casing sections for holding the saine together, rigidly at various telescopically adjusted positions thereof.

2. A. license indicator comprising` a sheetA material casing formed of telescopically slidable sections, one side of the casing being open to receive a license lplate and having inturned flanges to retain the latter, intein/fitting indentations made in the superposed'walls of the casing' sections -foi' holding,- the sainev 'together vrigidly at Various telescopic-ally adjusted positions thereof, an illuminating element incorporated in the bottom casing sections, and a fastening element incorporated inthe top casing sections,

these elements serving to form securing" means for the casing sections at Various telescopically adpisted positions thereof.

ln testimony Whereoit l aiiix my signature.

JoHN M. Moonen-iii 

